Targeting ship rats with a trap on a tree above a Flipping Timmy

[cb22]

I thought I would share techniques we have developed at a regional park contributing to eradication of possums from an endangered forest ecosystem and a significant reduction in rodent numbers.

Our practice is to place 2 traps and 1 Philproof bait station on and around a tree, in this case a puriri. We protect the bait in the FT and rat trap from mice attack by the nearby bait station (brodi or ditrac). The FT has a standard ramp under it, here probably a bit steeper than the desired 45*. Bait is connovation cinnamon blue paste enhanced with aniseed oil. For the flour haze we increased the amount of icing sugar in Cam Speedy’s mix from 500g to1KG and used the cheapest vanilla essence.

One key here is the rat box screwed into the tree and sitting above the FT. We have found this trap out catches ship rats 2 to 1 when compared with a DOC on the ground. We use Pics crunchy peanut butter as bait and our choice of trap, the Victor Professional Rat Trap. The only entrances for rats are 2 holes opposite each other at the end of the box.

A cable tie, secured at one end, is placed under the hole at the top to stop birds from entering. I understand birds are visual creatures and won’t push past the tie whereas a rat will.

I’ll post further photos soon of the developments done to the Philproof bait station together with an explanation on the thread.

Cheers,

[jworrall60]

Great tip about the cable tie!
Thanks for sharing.

[cb22]

Thanks mate.
A Regional Park Ranger suggested that improvement as we develop the trap box.

[camthelegend]

Agree - maybe better success rate catching rats off the ground when predators are in the area. An AT220 might tick a lot of these boxes too.

[cb22]

This is the link to the bait station development

Philproof Clearview Bait Station development – techniques used to increase attractiveness of bait (Ditrac or Brodi) and reduce snail and slug attack

As a volunteer I could only service traps every 4 weeks or so. When I checked a FT or DOC 200 and saw the bait had been eaten, usually by mice or slugs, and the trap not triggered I wondered for how long that trap had been without bait. In other words I wondered if the trap had no bait for say 3 weeks it was ineffective for 75% of the time. As a consequence we developed a concept of defending FTs and DOC 200s from mice attack by placing a Philproof Bait Station usually within 3 – 5 metres of a t…

Cheers

[dianne49]

Just wondering where you are located as I am interested in your trap box design. We came up with a very similar design for tree traps to reduce bird bycatch. We, here in Picton, thought we had a unique design! So good to see it working well in other places.

[cb22]

Hi Dianne,
I am based in Warkworth and volunteer at Scandrett and Mahurangi East Regional Parks.
I saw this style of trap at a Kiwi Coast Northland Pest Control Workshop where Northland Regional Council had one on display.
We modified their design by putting a further entrance on top of the box opposite the bottom entrance. This modification was based on our trapping experiences and a box Steve Allan designed for his SA4 ferret trap where the two side entrances are opposite each other,

SA4 Ferret Trap - Seve Allan Traps

We understand research indicates when mature native forest has canopy cover ship rats only spend 1 day in 10 on the ground.
Cheers

[dave_e]

Hi I don’t know if Steve changed the design on tunnel at all but a few years ago a mate brought a couple when I had a look the clearance between top of trap and top of Tunnel an animal could go straight over the top of the Trap to get the bait. I sent Steve an email but never heard back. I put a bit of mesh on my Mates ones.
they did not pass NAWAC so no use to me
cheers